Poker is a type of card game in which at least two players bet on the value of the card combination (“hand”) in their possession. The winner of the hand is the player who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy. In some forms of poker, the player is given an opportunity to “fold” (i.e. withdraw from a particular hand). Poker combines elements of chance and elements of skill, making it a very popular and attractive game to many players.
Poker has many variations, all following a similar pattern of play. Depending on the variant, hands may be formed using cards, which are concealed from others, or from a combination of concealed cards and open cards (i.e. cards that all players can see). Some variations are called Texas Hold'em, Draw Poker, 7 card stud poker and Omaha. Details of different types of poker games may be found at, for example, the publicly available website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker. Each game has slightly different rules, but they all retain the same basic elements (i.e. the player who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy wins the hand).
Other games that use poker hand rankings may likewise be referred to as poker or a “poker-style game”. For example, video poker is a single-player computer game that functions much like a reel-based gaming machine. While such gaming systems provide users with enjoyment, the need exists for alternative gaming systems in order to maintain or increase player enjoyment.